Alignment apparatus

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an alignment apparatus, with which an instrument to be aligned is mounted on a supporting structure (S) and which comprises a body section ( 10 ) mounted on the supporting structure, vertically and horizontally alignable alignment sections ( 20, 30 ), of which the first is mounted on the body section and the second is used for mounting the instrument to be aligned, and horizontal and vertical alignment means ( 40, 50 ) to align the alignment sections. To facilitate the alignment, the alignment means comprise threaded bolts ( 40, 50 ) connecting sections turning in relation to each other, which bolts are arranged to turn in each section turning in relation to each other so that each end ( 41, 42  and  51, 52 ) of the threaded bolts projects from the turning sections and each projecting end is provided with means ( 43, 44, 53, 54 ) enabling the turning of the threaded bolts.

This application is the national phase of international applicationPCT/FI99/00461 filed May 27, 1999 which designated the U.S., and thatinternational application was published under PCT Article 21(2) inEnglish.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an alignment apparatus, with which aninstrument to be aligned is mounted on a supporting structure and whichcomprises a body section to be mounted on the supporting structure,vertically and horizontally alignable alignment sections, of which thefirst is mounted on the body section and the second is used for mountingthe instrument to be aligned, and horizontal and vertical alignmentmeans to align the alignment sections.

The alignment apparatus is used especially in aligning an antenna (and amicrowave radio) to a required direction towards another equivalentantenna (and radio) and in keeping the antenna exactly in the setdirection, for instance during strong winds. The alignment apparatus isrequired to enable wireless data transmission, when the wireless datatransmission network comprises several radio links with an alignmentapparatus and a microwave radio. The alignment apparatus can be used inaligning all antennas, for instance satellite antennas. it can also beadapted to align mirrors and directors.

In such an alignment apparatus, horizontal coarse alignment isimplemented when fastening the alignment apparatus to the supportingstructure (pole) by mounting it in an approximately correct position.For vertical coarse alignment, the vertical alignment section usuallyhas several initial positions to select from, and the initial setting isthen adjusted with vertical fine adjustment.

Apparatus of prior art can be divided into two main groups on the basisof horizontal fine adjustment:

In the first group, the body section to be mounted on the supportingstructure (pole) and the alignment sections affecting the horizontaladjustment form an entity which also swivels around the pole when fineadjustment is made. In this case, fine adjustment is greatly dependenton the surface roughness of the pole and the mounting elements and onthe friction between the pole and the elements. This means thathorizontal fine adjustment becomes unstable and turning the threadedbolt, at times, affects the adjustment and, at times, does not, makingthe adjustment pulse-like and jerky. Thus, the result is an irregularadjustment, making an exact alignment of an antenna difficult andtime-consuming, sometimes even impossible.

In the second group, either the horizontal or vertical alignment sectionhas been arranged to swivel or turn in relation to the body section tobe mounted on the supporting structure, for instance so that thevertical alignment section turns vertically in relation to the bodywhile the horizontal alignment section turns in the vertical alignmentsection. Generally, a disadvantage of such a structure is a small rangefor horizontal fine adjustment and the fact that to make fineadjustment, it is necessary to open several nuts and bolts before theadjustment and close them after it.

In both above-mentioned groups, several nuts and bolts need to be openedand closed to perform vertical fine adjustment.

As antennas are usually located 20 to 30 meters above land surface inplaces where wind is strong, installation and alignment conditions aredifficult for an antenna installer. In addition to the difficultconditions and the above-mentioned complex adjustment, the installermust move several times from one side of the pole to the other, whichrequires time and adds to the difficulty and risks of the work.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to produce an alignmentapparatus which does not have the above-mentioned problems. This objectis achieved by an alignment apparatus of the invention which ischaracterized in that the alignment means comprise threaded boltsconnecting sections turning in relation to each other. The bolts arearranged to turn in both sections in relation to each other so that bothends of the threaded bolts project from the turning sections and bothprojecting ends are provided with a part enabling the turning of thethreaded bolts.

The invention is based on the idea that horizontal and vertical fineadjustment is possible from two opposite sides manually or with amachine, such as a battery drill with a wrench. These characteristicsenable a quick fine adjustment. The number of nuts and bolts to beopened and closed is also substantially reduced (approximately 50% ascompared to known solutions). At the same time, less tools are required.However, the important thing is that the invention considerablyincreases the safety of the installer, because he does not need to movearound so much.

An advantage of the invention is also that if the antenna must beinstalled on the other side of the pole, the adjustments can still bemade without disassembling parts of the alignment apparatus, because thealignment apparatus is ‘symmetrical’ due to the fact that adjustment canbe made on two sides. The alignment apparatus can also be made compact,which enables its installation close to the pole.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described in greater detail with reference to theattached drawings using an embodiment in which

FIG. 1 shows an alignment apparatus of the invention from behind (inrelation to the antenna to be mounted) and seen diagonally from above,

FIG. 2 shows an alignment apparatus of the invention from behind andseen diagonally from below, and

FIG. 3 shows an antenna of the invention from the front seen diagonallyfrom above.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The alignment apparatus shown in the drawings comprises a body section10 to be mounted on a supporting structure S, a horizontally alignablehorizontal alignment section 20 mounted on the body section 10 and avertically alignable vertical alignment section 30 mounted on thehorizontal alignment section, on which vertical alignment section anantenna (not shown) or a corresponding apparatus is mounted, andhorizontal alignment means 40 between the body section 10 and thehorizontal alignment section 20, and, vertical alignment means 50between the horizontal and vertical alignment sections 20, 30.

The body section 10 comprises two halves 11 and 12 which clamp on bothsides of a pole S acting as a supporting structure and which are clampedround the pole S with four bolts 15 connecting the halves.

The horizontal alignment section 20 is mounted on the body section 10 toturn in relation to a vertical shaft 21 arranged between one half 12 andthe horizontal alignment section 20, and the vertical alignment section30 is mounted on the horizontal alignment section 20 with a bolt 31arranged between them and to turn in relation to a horizontal shaft.

The alignment means 40 and 50 comprise a first and second threaded bolt40 and 50 connecting the sections turning in relation to each other. Thebolts are arranged to turn in relation to each other so that each end41, 42 and 51, 52 of the threaded bolts 40 and 50 projects from thesections 10, 20, 30 turning in relation to each other, and eachprojecting end 41, 42 and 51, 52 is provided with a part enabling theturning of the threaded bolt, preferably with a nut end 43, 44 and 53,54.

The first threaded bolt 40 connects the body section 10 and thehorizontal alignment section 20 at a distance from their articulatedshaft 21, and the second threaded bolt connects the horizontal andvertical alignment sections 20 and 30 at a distance from theirarticulated shaft 31.

A receiving section 13 of the first threaded bolt 40 in one half 12 ofthe body section 10 is arranged to turn in relation to a vertical shaft14 in the half 12, and a receiving section 22 in the horizontalalignment section 20 is arranged to turn in relation to a vertical shaft23 in the horizontal alignment section 20, while the bolt ends 41, 42 ofthe bolt 40 go through the receiving sections 13 and 22 as describedabove. Correspondingly, a receiving section 24 of the second threadedbolt 50 in the horizontal alignment section 20 is arranged to turn inrelation to a horizontal shaft 25 and a receiving section 32 in thevertical alignment section 30 is arranged to turn in relation to avertical shaft 33 in the vertical alignment section, while the bolt ends51, 52 of the bolt 50 go through the receiving sections 24 and 32 asdescribed above.

So as to make the inter-connected sections 10, 20, 30 to move closer,apart, or to turn by turning, i.e. adjusting, the threaded bolts 40, 50,the threads of the threaded bolt 40 are contrary in the receivingsections 13, 22 and the threads of the threaded bolt 50 are contrary inthe receiving sections 24, 33.

To lock the horizontal fine adjustment setting, the first threaded bolt40 is arranged with locking elements, preferably locking nuts 45, 46adapted to press against the receiving sections 13, 22 of the threadedbolt 40 from the opposite side in relation to the nut ends 43, 44 and53, 54 enabling the turning of the threaded bolt.

The locking of the vertical fine adjustment setting is implemented bymeans of a locking nut 34 of the articulated shaft 31 between thealignment sections and a separate locking device, i.e. locking nut 35,which locks the alignment sections to each other.

For vertical coarse alignment, the vertical alignment section 30 has, inthis example, 3 holes 36 to 38 at a distance from each other on theturning circumference of the vertical alignment section, to which holesthe second receiving section 32 of vertical fine adjustment can belocked at various initial angles of gradient with a bolt 39.

The alignment apparatus of the invention is aligned in the followingway:

Horizontal coarse adjustment is made when fastening the alignmentapparatus to the pole S, that is, by installing the body section 10 tothe pole S approximately in the correct horizontal position eithervisually or by means of a finder (not shown) and then tightening thebolts 15.

After this, horizontal fine adjustment is made by first opening thelocking nuts 45, 46 and then making the fine adjustment with thethreaded bolt 40 at its either end 41, 42 with either a hand tool or adrill with bushing (not shown). After the correct direction is found,the locking nuts 45, 46 are locked. The coarse adjustment range is+/−180° and, correspondingly, the fine adjustment range is +/−15°.

Vertical coarse adjustment is made when the antenna needs to bedeflected/aligned from its horizontal level more than +/−30°; in thiscase, coarse adjustment is made by first slightly opening (for instance¼ turn) the nuts 34, 35 and then opening the bolt 39 as far as it openswhile the built-in locking ring (not shown) stops the bolt 39 fromopening too much and falling off. After this, a possible shaper plate 60between the holes 36 to 38 is removed and the vertical alignment section30 is moved to the required hole 36 to 38, then the shaper plate 60 isput back and the bolt 39 is tightened so that it can turn when fineadjustment is made (bolt 39 together with threaded bolt 50 and itsreceiving section 32).

Vertical fine adjustment is made by first slightly opening the nuts 34,35, unless they are already open after the coarse adjustment. Afterthis, fine adjustment can be made with the threaded bolt 50 at itseither end 51, 52 with either a hand tool or a drill with bushing in thesame way as in horizontal fine adjustment. After the correct directionis found, the nuts 34, 35 and 39 are locked. In this example, the coarseadjustment range is +/−45° and the fine adjustment range is +/−30°.

The above description of the invention is only intended to illustratethe basic idea of the invention. A person skilled in the art mayimplement its details in a variety of alternative ways within the scopeof the attached claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An alignment apparatus for aligning an instrumentmounted on a supporting structure comprising: a body section mounted onthe supporting structure; vertically and horizontally alignablealignment sections of which the horizontally alignable alignment sectionis mounted on the body section and the vertically alignable alignmentsection is used for mounting the instrument to be aligned; horizontaland vertical alignment means to align the alignment sections, whereinthe horizontal and vertical alignment means comprise threaded bolts thatconnect sections which turn in relation to each other, the bolts arearranged to turn in the vertically and horizontally alignable alignmentsections in relation to each other so that both ends of the threadedbolts project from the sections, that turn the projecting ends areprovided with means enabling the turning of the threaded bolts; andwherein the horizontal alignment section is mounted on the body sectionto turn in relation to a vertical shaft arranged between them, and thevertical alignment section is mounted on the horizontal alignmentsection to turn in relation to a horizontal shaft between them, whereina first threaded bolt connects the body section and the horizontalalignment section at a distance from the vertical shaft and a secondthreaded bolt connects the horizontal and vertical alignment sections ata distance from the horizontal shaft.
 2. The alignment apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein receiving sections of the first threadedbolt in the body section and horizontal alignment section are arrangedto turn in relation to vertical shafts in the body section andhorizontal alignment section, and receiving sections of the secondthreaded bolt in the horizontal and vertical alignment sections arearranged to turn in relation to horizontal shafts in the alignmentsections.
 3. The alignment apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein ahorizontal fine adjustment setting is set when the first threaded boltis, arranged with locking elements, adapted to press against thereceiving sections of the first threaded bolt from the opposite side inrelation to parts enabling the turning of the first threaded bolt, and avertical fine adjustment setting is implemented by means of a lockingdevice of the horizontal shaft between the alignment sections and aseparate locking device which locks the alignment sections to eachother.
 4. The alignment apparatus according to claim 1, furthercomprising means for horizontal coarse alignment formed by the mountingof the body section on the supporting structure, and means for verticalcoarse alignment in which the vertical alignment section can be set atdifferent initial angles of gradient.